Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09
OSCAR j. HARVEY CONFESSES.
The Forged Claims by Which the Gov.
eminent Was Defrauded.

The circumstances OF the crime OF oscar J.
Harvey, an account Of whose arrest for passing
forged horse claims through the Treasury was
given in yesterdays STAR, are as follows: Harvey
was appointed chief of the horse claims division
In the Third Auditors ONCE OF the Treasury in
June, 1885, at the instance OF W. E. Smith, then
Assistant Secretary. Harvey was from Wilkes
Barre, Pa, and Messrs. Randall and Curtain, and
Others of the Pennsylvania delegation, protested
against his appointment upon the grounds that
he was republican, but they were finally induced
to withdraw their objections. Harvey re-
mained at the head OF the horse-claims
division until the first OF June last, and en-
1oyed the reputation OF being an efficient and
valuable officer. He was then transferred to the
Second Controllers 0fice, where he got slight
increase OF salary Mr.. Austin II. Brown, OF Indi-
ana, was appointed his successor as chief OF the
horse claims division and soon after taking charge
that he had discovered claims that
APPEARED TO BE FoRGERIEs.
An investigation was begun at once, and resulted
In the discovery OF large number OF Claims made
out in the names OF persons who had no existence
the signatures, af11davts notary seals, the Audit
first case discovered that showed palpable
to have been presented BY "w W. Wynn"
was made by Il. Stafford campbell. late lieutenant
colonel SD Pennsylvania infantry for three horses
valued at 200 each lost at different times: The
affidavit OF the applicant was sworn to and SUBJ
scr1Ded April 26, 1887 before j. G. Monfort, notary
public, OF Philadelphia, whose jurat and seal were
attached. The sustaining witness also made an
affidavit before the same notary April 80 1887 In
the body Of this affidayit VIM. II. Lamont is re-
ferred to as major OF the S3d regiment Pennsylva-
MA infantry, but the signature to the affidavit is
VIM. Fl. Lambert. The Adjutant-General OF the
Army certified that VIM. II. Lamont was the right
name OF the major The claim was held up and a
the case, requesting him to call at the Office. He
dd not call and on the 2Sth uit the Third Auditor
n fonn I fya nrtn.r
that her husband, ". W. wynn was then absent
in the West. and would be away two or three
sse MouS lbs sena n any
the meantime the paper in the Camp
pei hel case certifying the genuineness Of
the of1ice, and it was then found
that the signatures in that case and in twelve
Others involving the claims OF thirtyeght officers,
were forger1es subsequently It was found that
the Second Auditors name had been forged in the
certificates received from that Office and also that
none e Oh Inc pennsyvania and New Jersey cases IN
which Mr.. Wynn was attorney were entered on
the records OF that office. The claims which had
been allowed were then Overhaued, and in almost
every instance 1t was found that the Second Au-
dltor's certificate as to signatures had been alb
Stracted, together with other papers. This tnveS-
tigation lasted over week, and during that time
MT. oscar j. Harvey was ON duty at his desk in
the Second Controllers Office, and there every
evidence that he was concerned in the prepara.
OF the mail-room, Third AUDITORS of1ice and the
stamp OF the horse claims division, had been
forged and the dates arranged SO as to bring them
Within the limitation fixed for the filing OF these
claims. The stamp OF the Quartermaster-Gen-
erals On1ce was also forged.
FRAUDULENT CLAIMS AMOUNTING TO OVER $50, 1000.
1t was discovered that Harvey, Wynn, and the
notary public were all the same person. BY means
OF these forgeres Harvey had succeeded in pass
ing through the Treasury forty three claims upon
which he had collected 5000. Other forged
claims, which would have run the amount up to
between fifty and sixty thousand dollars were
discovered in various stages OF progress through
the accounting Offices. Harvey, when taken be-
fore the Secretary, confessed his crime, stating
that the forgeries and the counterfeit stamps were
all his own work. His excuse was that he had
been driven to It, he said, by pecunary necessities
brought upon him by man with whom he had
been In partnership, and who, ever since he re-
ceived his appointment In the Treasury, has
goaded him on to make the most OF his oppOrtuni.
ties This man, he SAY, pretended to have a GRIM
1nal hold on him. but he did not really have any.
It was this he said that had led him into the trou.
bic and brought him face to face with the peniten
tiary. "My partner" concluded the prisoner,
told me had good office. and that could raise
the money he wanted. did 1T, and now see what
ha NJ